Jordan Bevan
Twitter is launching a pilot of the ‘Shop Module’, a new, dedicated space at the top of a profile where businesses can showcase their products. The Shop Module was launched yesterday for a “handful” of brands in the United States.
Users in the U.S. who use the Twitter app in English on iOS devices will then be able to scroll through a carousel of product images in the Shop Module and tap through on a product they’re interested in buying.
Twitter said that currently only brands with a Professional Profile, which began testing in April, will be able to use the feature.
“With modular components for Professional Profiles, businesses across the globe – from small businesses and legacy brands to creator-founded businesses – will have access to customized profiles with features intended to help drive engagement and business outcomes,” Bruce Falck said in a blog post.
As the feature is only in the initial phases of testing, Twitter said it is not yet offering a way for brands to sign up. The company is currently testing the feature with around 10 brands from different categories including retail, lifestyle, and gaming, such as Gamestop and ArdenCove.
Twitter said it is also assembling a new Merchant Advisory Board, which will “consist of brands that have established themselves as best-in-class examples of merchants on Twitter.”
In early March, Twitter Revenue Lead Bruce Falck had said that the company was starting to explore “ways to better support commerce on Twitter”.
“We know people come to Twitter to interact with brands and discuss their favorite products. In fact, you may have even noticed some businesses already developing creative ways to enable sales on our platform,” he said.
As part of its plans for new ways to monetize its platform, Twitter announced ‘Super Follows’, a paid subscription model that charges members for exclusive content.
Twitter is not the only social media giant focusing on ecommerce features to monetize its platform. In late June, Mark Zuckerberg announced new e-commerce features for Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Marketplace: Shops on WhatsApp and Marketplace, Instagram Visual Search and Shops Ads.
Facebook will also begin testing a native affiliate tool that “will allow creators to discover new products available on checkout, share them with their followers and earn commissions for the purchases they drive — all within the Instagram app.”
According to recent research, shopping on the popular short video platform TikTok increased by 553% in the last 12 months. People familiar with the matter said in May that TikTok has begun working with brands in Europe, including the U.K, on ways they can sell their products directly to millions of its app users.
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